Odisha DGP reviews crowd control arrangements for Nabakalebara

Odisha DGP Sanjeev Marik has warned that unless works like digging of roads, completion of sewerage works, works on the national highway and bridges and railway projects are completed by the end of March or at least before April 15, preparations by the police for the Nabakalebar Yatra cannot take off and the different measures planned by it for crowd control won’t deliver desired results.

The DGP made the statement to the media Thursday after holding a review meeting here on preparations for the Nabakalebar Yatra.

Marik said unless roads are repaired in time, it would be difficult to know the lacunae in the pre-preparation phase. Especially, if construction work on the Puri-Bhubaneswar national highway, construction of bridges at Samjajpur, Satyabadi, Malatipatpur, work on the 12-km long Puri-Mangalaghat and the 8 km long Malatipatpur-Konark marine drive bypass are not completed within proper time, preparations and planning for parking of vehicles and vehicle routing cannot be done. The top cop apprehended that unless roads are widened, it could lead to critical traffic jams.

The DGP informed that steps are being taken to make robust police arrangements for preventing stampedes. Every year, improvements are being made in the security arrangements, he said adding that security inside the temple premises is being tightened using ultra-modern systems.

“In view of the ever increasing crowd and call of the hour, changes are being made in the security arrangements every year, Marik said. Accordingly, several changes will be made in the security arrangements for the Nabakalebar Yatra,” he said.

Baggage scanners will be installed at entry points to the Shree Mandir. Moreover, control rooms will be set up for crowd control and monitoring during Rath Yatra, said the top cop elaborating on security measures planned for the forthcoming Nabakalebar Yatra.

Marik said metal detectors will be used while police will keep a close vigil at the railway station, bus stands, crowded squares. CCTV cameras will be used for monitoring movements of one and all, he added.

He said arranging parking for tourist buses, local permit buses, four wheelers and two wheelers was the biggest challenge and therefore parking places is being given top most priority.

The DGP Thursday held a review meeting on preparations for Nabakalebar with the RDC (central), district collector, superintendent of police and senior officers of different departments.

The top cop visited different places to gather first hand information about proposed parking, roads mentioned in the route charts and traffic routes.